Combination shipping box and feeder



Nov. 1-0, 1931. .R. A. GORSUCH 1,831,444

COMBINATION SHIPPING BOX AND FEEDER Filed Nov. 4. 1930 so cover 11provided wi Patented Nov. 1c; 1931 UNITED sj'ra'ras PATENT OFFICE ROBERTA. GOBSUOE, OF GAMBIER OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CONGOR MFG. COMPANY,

' OI GAMBIER, OHIO, A CORPORATION OIVOHIO COMBINATION SHIPPING IBOX ANDFEEDER I Application filed November 4, 1930. Serial No. 493,311.

This invention relates to a combination shipping box and feeder for babychicks. in

a device of this type it is necessary to provide for ventilation duringshipment and for 5 feeding the baby chicks after their arrival atdestination. inasmuch as a large number of chicks are shipped in thesame container, it is not feasible to place the food in such container.Openings must therefore be provided in the walls or the box ofsuflicient size to admit the heads of the chicks so that they may feedfrom food receptacles outside the shipping -box feeder.v 1n theprovision of feeding openings means must be provided to. prevent duringthe process of shipment any possibility that the heads of the chicks maybe inserted through such openings to the outside of the box, since lossof or mjury to the chicks might result.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a combinedshipping box and brooder which shall meet the above requirements, whichmay be provided at a minimum expense and which afi'ords a maximum ofsafety against inj my to the chicks.

' A further object is to provide the feeding openings of such characterthat they may be partly opened for securing extra ventilation. A furtherobject is to avoid thenecessity for employing larger boxes for the samenumber of chicks in hot weather. Other and more limited objects willappear as the description proceeds. v 4 i I attain the foregoing andother objects in and through the constructions, illustrative examples ofwhich are shown in the accompanymg drawings in which Fig.1 is afragmentary perspective view of a preferredembodiment of my invention;Fig. 2 is a frag- .form; Fig. 3 is a similar elevation of a third form;Fig. 4 is asimilar elevation of et another modification; and Fig. 5 is asection on line 55-of Fig. 4, f

The embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 1 comprises a shipping boxpreferably of corru ted paper board and includ- 'ing the usual dttom, uright walls 10 and a a depending flange me'ntary elevation of a slightlymodified- 12. A plurality of small ventilation open ings 131's providednear the upper edge of the upright walls and similar openings may alsobe provided in the top of the cover 11. Knockout cuts 14: are providedin said upright walls, spaced a convenient dlstance from the bottom edgethereof and comprising inverted U-shape'd slits l5 and straight slits l6opposite the open end of the U- shaped slits and spaced therefrom. 1twill be evident from the drawings that during,

the process of shipment the knockouts within the cuts 14: will close thefeeding openings and that when it'is desiredto use the receptacle for abrooder, these knockouts can be removed by insertmg a penknii'e at theends of the U-shaped slits and cutting straight downwardly to, join thestraight slits 16. 'l'his construction also aflords the possibility ofextra ventilation by breaking away the portion of the knockout above theends of the U-shaped slit as indicated at 17.

. In the form shown in Fig. 2 the construction is identical with thatshown in Fig. 1 except that the straightslits 16 have upwardly extendingright angular portions adapted to provide greater ease in formingthefeeding openings and thereby to render possible the removal ofthesame without the use of a pen, knife sim 'ly by-pushing one, fingeragainst the lower edge of the knockout and the other against the upperedge on the opposite side, thereby twisting out the remaining knockoutportion,

in the modification of Fig. additionto the U-shaped slit 15 and straightslit 16 spaced from the ends of. the U-shaped 3 I provide in I slit ashorter slit 18 on aline joining the ends of the arms of the U-shapedslit but being of a length less than the distance between the ends ofsuch arms whereby removal of the upper. portion of the knockout forventilating purposes is facilitated. The use of a portion of the feedingopening for ventilation during transitis a very decided advantage sinceitrenders unnecessary the larger 1 hot-weather shipping 'box. YThis mayalso in certain cases serve to eliminate either some orall theventilation openings 13.

.lines. The word is also to be understood as v In; the modifications ofFigs-4 and 5 I provide a box identical with those of the othermodifications except that circular knockouts 20 are provided for feedingopenings and a strip 21 is secure on the inside of the bbx and partiallycovers the opening 20. This strip may be in the form of a rectanglewhich is slipped into the box and held in place by frictlon or gravity,or it may be a plurality of shorter pieces pasted or glued to the innerwall and adapted for easy removal after shipment to convert the box intoa brooder. It will be evident that when the strip or strips 21 cover thelower halves ofthe openings 20,

said openings will not afiord egress to the heads of the chicks.

I may, within the contemplation of my invention, provide these shippingboxes and feeders with rint ed outlines instead of cut outlines where ythe user may form the openings bycutting around the printed outline.

cut'and theymay indicate either printed or cut outlines.

For thepurpose of this s ecification and disclosure, the term outline isto be understood as including printed, scored or cut outincludin eitheracompletely formed or defined out in'e or one which is sufficientlynear- 1 complete as to su gest the fully completed fbrm in an unmistaable manner.

-While I have illustrated certain preferred embodiments of my inventionI wish it understood that I- am not limited to thedetails thereof butthat numerous changes in construction may be made within the S00 e ofthe appended claims and without departing from t e s'piritof theinvention.

.; Havingthus described my invention, what 1. A device of the characterdescribed comprising, a box having the usual bottom, up-. right wallsand cover, a series of knock-out cuts formed in one or more of said upriht I walls near the bottom thereof to form, w en 8. size to admit thehead of a. 0

.inc uding at least the to the cut-outlined area is removed, openings of"saidlast-openings may be enlarged to a size sufiicient to admit thehead of. chick by the i if ick, said the provision of an 0 ing aU-shaped slit and a substantially straight slit opposite the open end ofsaid U and spaced from the ends of the legs thereof.

3. A device of the character described com: prising, a box having theusual bottom, ,up right walls and cover, one or more of said uprightwalls having formed therein a series of knock-out cuts, eachsaid outcomprising an inverted U-shaped slit and a substantially straight slitopposite the open end of said U and spaced from the ends of the legsthereof.

4. A device of the character described comprising, a box having theusual bottom, upright walls and.cover,one or more of said upright wallshaving formed therein a series 0 knock-out cuts, each said out beingpositioned near the bottom of one 'of said upright walls, and a stripinside said box extending around said upright Wall's and removabletherefrom, said strip being of such a height as to obstruct portions ofsaid openings when it is in place.

prising, a box having the usual bottom, up-

right walls and cover, one or more of said upright walls having formedtherein near but spaced from the bottom a series ;of knock.-

out cuts, each said out comprising a U-shaped slit and a. substantiallystraight slit opposite c the .open end of said U and spaced from theends of the legs thereof.

6. A device of the character described comprising, a box having theusual bottom, upright walls and cover, one or more of said upright wallshaving formed therein near but spaced from the bottom a series of.knockout cuts, each said out comprising an inverted U-shaped slit and asubstantially straight slit opposite the o 11 end of said U and spacedfrom the en of the legs thereof.

7. In a device of the charact er described, a boxhaving bottom, sidewalls and-cover, and means whereby said box may be conveniently used asa ventilated shipping box and subsequently-as a feeding box, said meansincluding an outline defining an opening of a size to admit the head ofa chick, said'means also being so formed and arranged as to facilitatening within said outline of a size too sma a chick. i

8. In a device of the character described, a box havin bottom, sidewalls and cover, and means w ereby said box may be conveniently used asa ventilated shipping-box and subsequently as a feeding box, said meansincluding an outline defining an'opening of a to admit the head ofnseam.

size to admit the head of a chick, said means also being so formed andarranged as to facilitate the provision of an opening within saidoutline of a size too small to admit the head of a chick, said outlinebeing composed in part of one or more slits.

9. A device of the character described comprising, a box having theusual bottom,

upright walls and cover, ventilation knockout cuts formed in said wallsand forming.

when the cut-outlined area is removed, openings of a size too small toallow the passage of the head of a chick, a series of knock-out cutsformed in one or more of said upri ht walls near the bottom thereof andadapte to form, when the cut-outlined area is removed, openings of asize to admit the head of a chick, said shipping box being provided withmeans, including at least the top part of one or more of saidlast-mentioned cut-outlined portions, whereby a series of openings of asize too small to admit the head of a chick may be provided temporarilyby a simple knocking out operation and whereby one or more of said lastopenings may be enlarged to a size suflicient to admit the head ofachick by the simple operation of removing obstructing means fromobstructing relation to the lower portion of said cut-outlined areas.

10. A device of the character described comprising, a box having theusual bottom upright walls and cover, one or more of said upright wallshaving formed therein a series of knock-out cuts, each said out beingpositioned near the bottom of one of said upright walls, and a stripinside said box extending around said upright walls and removabletherefrom.

11. Ina device of the character described,

a box having the usual bottom and side walls and cover and provided inone or more of the side Walls with a series of slit outlinedareas, eachsuch area being defined by a plurality of separated slits and being of asize when the outlined material is removed to admit the head of a chick.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto allix my signature.

ROBERT A. GORSUCH.

